PM launches first health insurance facility for transgenders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched the Sehat Insaf Card facility for the transgender community to provide insurance to the most vulnerable segments of society.

Addressing at the launching ceremony under the Sehat Sahulat programme for the transgender community, the prime minister regretted that the previous governments never took responsibility of the most vulnerable sections of the society including transgenders.

He said the government had taken the responsibility of transgender community and would give them ‘a sense of ownership’. “Pakistan was created on a great idea based upon sense of justice, humanity and humane feelings for the downtrodden,” he added.

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PM Imran Khan said past government’s did not accept the existence of transgender community, but they would provide them full protection in the society by removing negative perceptions about them. The prime minister added that the government was determined to provide health cards and insurance to all the weaker segments of the society.

The initiative will cater to the individuals of transgender community registered with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) form the Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan and other provinces.

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PM Imran Khan highlighted the economic turnaround and said that the government faced the most difficult economic challenges last year, but the year 2020 would dawn with progress and prosperity for the country. “In the year 2020, we will move forward on the path of progress and prosperity,” he added.

The prime minister also referred to the government’s flagship social security Ehsaas programme for poverty alleviation and the miseries of poor families. He said subsidised food would be provided through Utility Stores, besides issuance of the ration cards to the deserving people. The Langar network providing free meals would be spread so that no needy person could be left hungry while youth are being provide loans.

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PM Imran Khan stated that with the Sehat Insaf Card, poor families would have confidence to get treatment facilities in different health facilities of the country. He recalled how the poor families could not manage treatment of their ailing members due to their meagre financial resources.

Imran Khan also appreciated Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza for floating the idea for extending such facility to the transgender community. Dr Mirza said a total of 6.8 million families had been provided with Sehat Insaf cards. He said the government is making strenuous effort to target 15 million deserving families by the end of next year.

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The Sehat Sahulat programme was launched in 84 districts where a total of 300 private sector hospitals had been providing health services to the deserving people. The special assistant said they had collected data about the transgenders with the assistance of their community leaders. He said they would get facilities of surgeries and treatment for different chronic diseases with the the health card.

Dr Mirza also lauded the promulgation of Transgender Protection Act ensuring equal citizenship by ending discrimination against them in all the sectors.The prime minister also distributed Sehat Insaf cards among the members of the transgender community.